


Reality Check

by mandachann



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Dating Sim AU, Domestic Fluff, Eren and Jean get along better than usual, Eren doesn't know he's gay, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Gender-Neutral Hange Zoë, Hints and stuff for Annie and Mikasa, Jean has a lot of past relationship encounters, Jean's POV, M/M, Modern AU, Multi, Rating May Change, Slow Build, They work at diner, and Jean lives with Mikasa and Connie, ill add better tags later oops, jeanmarco
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-28
Updated: 2015-03-28
Packaged: 2018-03-19 23:59:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3629091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandachann/pseuds/mandachann
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was harder than expected, keeping it a secret that Jean Kirschstein was mildly addicted to dating sims. It was also quite difficult pulling himself back together after a relationship crumbled before his very eyes -- but he got through it. So when Jean finds out that his dating sim dealer has managed to pull a freckled side character from his game and his housemate has befriended the one painful secret he thought was long gone, Jean's mundane days are sure to become more than he can chew.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reality Check

**Author's Note:**

> This idea all stemmed from my dating sim obsession blooming again. One thing led to another and we came up with this ridiculous idea...then we ended up taking it seriously and here we are. Phew. Welp. Enjoy?

Here at Trost House, we like to keep our customers happy and well fed. What we don’t like, despite how pleasant and loving we are as a crew, is when the occasional idiot stops by. Dealing with idiots was not Eren’s specialty. Levi could barely deal with own our stupidity, let alone a complete stranger’s. I, of all people, sure as hell couldn’t even be bothered with that kind of bullshit. Yet, there I was, dealing with the most insufferable amount of idiots I’ve ever had to put up with, work related or otherwise. I loved the Trost House, but today it was hell on earth.

“Ma’am, you can’t order this _without_ pickles. It’s a pickled dish.” I gritted my teeth together in my best customer friendly smile. “I can recommend you something else, if you don’t like pickles?”

“No, no, I understand. Could you just get whoever’s in charge here? I’d like to talk to someone with a bit more common sense, please.” The middle aged woman returned my own smartass smile with one equally smartassy, as if she was right. Her daughter, who was significantly easier to deal with, tried to subtly shush her into getting something else altogether. She wasn’t having it.

“Oh,” The teeth gritting subsided as my mouth curled into something genuine. Levi would deal with this perfectly. “Of course! Anything for the customer. Hold on a minute.”

I whipped around on my heels and began taking long strides through the restaurant. Eren grinned at me as I walked by, aware I was more on edge than usual today.

“Just can’t wait to see your girlfriend, huh, Jean?”

“Talk to me about girlfriends when you get one, Eren.” I stopped next Christa at her hostess podium and glanced over the counter, giving her The Look.

“Levi!” She turned around, calling behind her. “Someone wants to talk to you!”

“Hey, cutie with the booty, what’cha up to?” Ymir, who should have been in the kitchen with the debatably sober head chef, Pixis, came up beside me. Regardless of how well that guy could handle the kitchen on his own, her job title did entail that she was supposed to be in the kitchen while on the clock. I suppose you can only control yourself with a tiny blonde broad like Christa for so long, though. She did her best to ignore Ymir when she got like this at work, trying to avoid any and all wrath Levi was willing to dish out.

“Ymir, has it ever occurred to you that workplace relationships are against the rules?” I gave my best impression of Levi and patted down my black apron. After many casualties, I’d finally grown out of a terrible habit. Ruining my white work pants was no longer my specialty and there’d be no more pants joining the hundreds of brave pants I’ve tossed aside for emergency purposes only. Nice job, pants, you did your best. You can rest now.

“Nah,” She nudged Christa playfully. “I’m pretty good at keepin’ it on the down low, y’know?”

“Jean, has it ever occured to you that hats violate the uniform regulations?” I could hear a certain stubby man walk by me and tug my red beanie off.

I turned around to object and, instead, caught it with the little reflexes I had when he tossed it back at me. “My bad,” I admitted, stuffing the hat in my apron and earning a snicker from Ymir.

Levi pinched the bridge of his nose before looking at me through a half lidded, less than pleased stare. “What moron did you let in this time?”

I nodded toward the crazy woman and her daughter. “Middle aged lady at table 6. Wants bubbling pickled oysters… that aren’t pickled.”

Most people would expect the manager to put on a friendly smile, I mean I did, but it still surprised me how Levi’s brow furrowed deeper than normal and marched in the direction of the nuisance.

“How’s Pixis doing back there, Ymir?” A smirk curled on my face, questioning her just loud enough to get Levi’s attention.

I could almost feel the realization sink into both Levi and Ymir. He stopped walking toward the grumpy woman and turned to look at his less than rule abiding employee. “Ymir? If you have time to distract Christa from work, do you think you’d have time to maybe try working for once?”

“Oh, uh, sorry, sir?” Her eyes darted to Christa, who was fortunately not in trouble. She gave a quick wink to her and tailed it for the kitchen. A good choice, considering she always sounded like she wanted to pick a fight with whoever was talking to her.

Levi nodded in dismissal to me. My eyes locked onto Eren for a moment as I pushed off the podium and headed for my few minutes of solace. “I’m going on smoke break, if I’m not back in five minutes, come get me.”

“Hm...” He looked at me quietly for a short moment before nodding. “Gonna call your mysterious girlfriend? Maybe… I’m stuck between classy lady and raunchy stripper… How ‘bout Veronica?”

“Oh, swing and a miss. Better luck next time.” I rolled my eyes and went back through the kitchen. I saluted Pixis as I walked by and pushed through the back door.

Smoke break hadn’t necessarily been a lie; it just wasn’t all I was going out to do. Now before you think, _Ew, Jean, what the fuck are you doing in the back of a family restaurant? Do you have any shame?_ It isn’t anything like that, I _swear_. I dug a cigarette from my apron and nestled it in between my lips. I didn’t smoke often but days like this…good god, how are so many people surviving with such little brain power?

Stupidity aside, I was missing one thing. I left my cigarette in between the fingers of my right hand and pulled out my PSP. I sure as hell didn’t have a girlfriend, but it’s not like Eren knew I spent my breaks and most of my nights like this.

The game booted up as I returned the cigarette to my lips. The title fluttered on the screen; _Furawashoppu no Yume: Sobakasu Nissu_. Where was I? Right.

Marco.

Ugh, that freckled bastard meant well but he could get so annoying. Even if I didn't know he was a love interest, I could definitely guess. Guy best friend who helps the protagonist, yours truly, with all his romance issues? Lame. Typical. He was just too…nice. I might have a weakness for freckles, but I’m not _that_ weak.

Kou was more my style. Grumpy, badass…honestly, the only ones I avoided more than Freckled Jesus here were the smart ones. Or the blonde ones.

Kou had brown hair and, while he wasn’t dumb, he also wasn’t ridiculously smart.

“Y’know, I heard Kou’s gonna be at that party tonight, Jeanbo…”

I had to hold back a laugh at the poor kid. He really knew that saying _he’d_ be there wasn’t enough. I suppose that’s how it is when you’re a dating sim boy. I skipped through the rest of his dialogue the best I could. “Fine, fine,” I pulled the cigarette out of my mouth. “I’ll go.”

“It’s been five minutes…”

Eren probably thought I was doing something creepy…judging by the face he gave me, he definitely assumed the worst. Not like I could blame him, I wasn’t exactly acting normal. I’d jumped and shoved my PSP back in it’s rightful place, away from everyone. Trying to appear casual, I flicked my cigarette onto the ground and grinded my heel on it. “Sorry, um, I’m coming in right now.”

Shit. I forgot to save. I’ll have to talk to Freckles again when I get home…

-

I lived in a two-story rental house with a bald ball of energy named Connie and Mikasa, the only one with authority and order in our humble abode. It was pretty cheap between the three of us (mainly because of Mikasa’s ability to land a job better than both mine and Connie’s), but it surely wasn’t anything special. There wasn’t enough space for a dining room, so only a banister separated the kitchen from the decently furnished livingroom. Pleather couches, Connie’s ratty recliner, a flat screen that may have been a little out of our budget, and a coffee table/footrest completed the downstairs. Upstairs was a little less homie. Though it was clean on the outside, our bedrooms--mine and Conman’s, anyway--were borderline filthy. Neither of us had the balls to steal a peek into Mikasa’s room. God only knows what she’d do if she caught us.

My PSP was burning a hole in my pocket the entire drive home from Trost House, so the moment I unlocked the door and kicked my sneakers off, I was on the couch, already getting things started up again.

“What the hell?” Seriously, Kou? What’d I do wrong?

“Hey, I’m going out to pick up a new coworker, could you clean up a bit?” Mikasa stopped behind me on the couch, a faint scent on her perfume ghosting around the livingroom. She was one of the two fortunate enough to witness me at my best.

My eyes darted to her for a short moment before returning to the game. “Yeah? Is he coming over for dinner or something? Aw, shit.” Somehow I’d ended up pissing off Kou _again_ , so I was sitting outside alone. I even managed to fuck things up in dating sims from time to time… I had to admit, I definitely did it less in games than I did in real life, at least.

“Mhmm. He’s a nice guy, too, so don’t scare him off.” She sat down in the chair nearby and tied her shoes.

“Is it really important that I clean? I’m kinda busy, he won’t care, right?” Suddenly, a wild Marco appeared! As much as I pitied the guy, he did always arrive at the perfect time. Whenever I ended up assholing my way out of getting laid, he was there to cheer me up. When I finally looked back at Mikasa, she gave me a look I’d learned to fear.

“These are my roommates, Connie and Jean. Connie works at GameStop and Jean spends most of his time alone, playing dating sims.” She mocked her introduction, straightening herself in the chair. I didn't blame her, though. It was an effective way to get me to do things around the house. Connie was worse than me, so it’s a bit of a shame that he didn’t have a dirty secret like this.

I let out a groan and saved. I wasn’t that interested in dealing with Marco right now anyway. Maybe I could reload later and try to not piss Kou off. “Fine, I’ll clean the kitchen, is that good?”

“Thanks.” Like that, she was gone, leaving me alone to do dishes, among a million other things.

I barely finished dealing with the ridiculous amount of dishes piled up--thanks, Connie--when I felt a buzz from my butt. I assumed it was Mikasa, giving me more to do.

“Yo! You coming to pick your usual stuff up?”

Speaking of the bald bastard, I’d forgotten it was Friday. The guy may leave quite the mess behind for me to clean, but somehow, he got his hands on serious gold. From the impossible to get your hands on to the never even heard of, Connie snagged dating sim titles for me every other week. Usually, I’d get them after work but he’d never texted me and I’ve been so into this one, I actually forgot about it entirely. I wiped my hands dry on the kitchen towel and felt my phone buzz again.

“Bring your PSP this time.”

As if I didn't bring it everywhere to begin with.

-

Connie wasn’t waiting outside for me like usual so, as hesitant as I was to break our routine, I figured that business seemed slow and I didn’t have all day. I gave Mikasa the heads up that Connie called me out and I was lucky I’d finished the dishes or I wasn’t sure she’d let it slide.

“Jean!”

I stuffed my hands in my pockets, trying my best to appear as casual as possible. Just a guy visiting his roommate at work. No big deal. I’m definitely not here to get dating sims in the sketchy GameStop back alley. “Hey, Sasha.” I stopped at the counter, trying to find the most casual, least suspicious way to talk to her.

“Looking for Connie?” There was a moment where her smile faulted, as if my looking for Connie was weird. It kinda was, when it was so scheduled. Did she notice? Does she _know_?

“Oh, uh, yeah, I was just driving by and I figured I could give him a ride home…” Connie didn’t even usually get off until later. There was something about Sasha that made me nervous when it came to dealing with my dating sims. She was so awkward whenever she was around me and Connie, like she knew something. I didn’t think for a moment that he told her, I was past that, but they were so close that she had to have her suspicions.

“He told you he’s taking off early today, huh?” She gestured to the door. “He went to pick some food up for me next door. He should be back soon.”

That was lucky. Connie didn’t mention he’d be off work, usually he’d do it on his break. “Does he usually…?”

“Pick food up for me? We usually go after work together, so I guess this is just him making it up to me since he can’t go today.” She shrugged and greeted some greasy looking guy who came in. “It’s not that big of a deal. I think Bert gives him a discount when he goes there.”

Connie and Sasha are always in this weird dating-but-not-dating state together. They hang out constantly and they used to fuck around--literally. For whatever reason they stopped, which was pretty refreshing for someone who _lived_ with Connie during that. Still, he definitely is obviously crazy over her. Anyone can tell that just by looking at him. I’m not sure where Sasha stands but I’m sure if I knew her like I knew Connie, it’d be easy to tell, too. Either way, as someone who can’t find anyone like that, it kinda pisses me off to see them beat around the bush for so long. Just get it over with already.

“Yo, Sash!” I glanced back to see Connie was back, empty handed. “You don’t get off for a while so Bert said he’d make you food then and you can eat with them! That way your food won’t be cold and you won’t have to eat alone, sound good?”

“Mhmm!” She grinned, then glanced at me. “Going on a date with Jean?”

Before I could object, Connie nudged me. “Hm, it is Jean’s datenight. We’re just going for a drive and then Mikasa is apparently bringing some coworker over to meet us. I’ll come over afterwards.”

“Maybe tomorrow.” Sasha shooshed us away and began checking greasy guy out. Her attempts to make polite small talk were painfully awkward to watch. The guy just wasn’t having it. “See you guys later!”

It took me a moment to register that we were leaving. We were leaving. We weren’t in the back alley, exchanging the usual odd box of dating sim games.

“Jean? You drove here, right? We can take your car.”

“Wait. Where are we going?” I stopped beside my junker of a car and raised an eyebrow at him. This wasn’t the usual. I didn’t like it. What was Connie up to?

He sighed. “Do you think I’m the one who gets a hold of all these weird games?  My supplier is too busy to drop them off today so we’re going to their house. You don’t know them so don’t worry about it.”

I didn’t like it but I couldn’t really argue. It didn’t really matter in the end if they didn’t know me, right?

_Right?_

-

Not only was the house creepy to begin with, but Connie just let himself in. “They’re in the basement.”

If this isn’t sketchy then I don’t know what is. I’m not sure I’m willing to get murdered for dating sims. “Uh, Connie? This person is, um…safe, right? Like, you’ve been here before? Alone?”

It was hard to see anything at all in the house. It didn’t seem like there was much furniture on the way to what must’ve been the basement door. It was as if they never came upstairs or something. In front of me, Connie laughed and made his way down the basement steps. What did that mean?

“Hanji?” He stepped toward the figure at the end of the basement…which was weird as hell. It was like some mad scientist lab or something. At least there was light down here. “This is Jean.”

“Hm?” They turned around and pulled what seemed to be safety goggles up off their face. They looked at me and a slightly frightening grin spread across their face. “You came just in time! It’s done!”

“What?” I watched as they sized me up.

“Where’s your PSP?” They took quick strides towards me, their hands outstretched in front of them. "Does it have a game in it?” Honestly, with the way they were talking, I wouldn’t be surprised if they started drooling. For some odd reason, they seemed _excited_.

“Um, yeah?” I dug my PSP out of my pocket, only to have Hanji snatch it from me right away. “Hey!”

They ignored me and spun on their heel. Before I could object, they returned to the weird machine they’d be working on and tossed it in.

“What the hell? Connie, come on, what’s going on?” There was a thud and a short pause before a bright, white light flashed in front of me. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t hear anything.

Somehow I always knew it would end like this.


End file.
